Masahiro Makino
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese film director of more than 260 films, primarily in the chanbara and yakuza
genres. His real name was Masatada , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji
for which he changed multiple times (including , , and ).
, the eldest son of the film director and producer Shōzō Makino, who is often called the father of Japanese cinema. As a boy he began acting in films before debuting as a film director in 1926 at age 18. His critically acclaimed nihilistic jidaigeki
such as Roningai
(1928) made him one of the top Japanese film directors, but his way of shooting films quickly also earned him detractors. For instance, the total time it took to shoot the 1936 film Edo no Ka Oshō was only 28 hours. The critic Sadao Yamane, however, has argued that this fast filming practice also contributed to Makino's speedy, rhythmic film style. Rhythm and tempo are important to his films, and so in his jidaigeki, fight scenes like in Kettō Takadanobaba (1937) could seem like dances, or entire sequences, like in Awa no odoriko (1941), could be filled with dance. He made musicals like Singing Lovebirds
(1939) and even his wartime propaganda films like Hanako-san and Ahen senso
(both 1943) could have Busby Berkeley
-like musical numbers.
After the war, he helmed such popular jidaigeki series as "Jirōchō sangokushi" and such ninkyō eiga series as "Nihon kyōkaku den". He directed his last film in 1972, the retirement film for Junko Fuji, completing a filmography that totaled over 260 films and included films of many genres.
and Hiroyuki Nagato
, each of whom married famous actresses (Yukiji Asaoka
and Yōko Minamida
respectively). Kunitarō's brother and sister (brother and sister-in-law to Masahiro) are the actors Daisuke Katō
and Sadako Sawamura. The pseudonym that Masahiko Tsugawa took when he became a director, Makino Masahiko, is a tribute to Masahiro.
Masahiro married the actress Yukiko Todoroki
and their son, Masayuki Makino, is the head of the Okinawa Actor's School, famous for training a number of Japan's top female pop singers. His second wife was also an actress, and one of their two daughters became an actress.
As actor:
Yakuza film
is a popular film genre in Japanese cinema which focuses on the lives and dealings of yakuza, also referred to as the Japanese Mafia.-Ninkyo eiga:...
genres. His real name was Masatada , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
for which he changed multiple times (including , , and ).
Career
Masahiro Makino was born in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, the eldest son of the film director and producer Shōzō Makino, who is often called the father of Japanese cinema. As a boy he began acting in films before debuting as a film director in 1926 at age 18. His critically acclaimed nihilistic jidaigeki
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...
such as Roningai
Roningai
are respectively 1928 and 1929 black and white Japanese silent films with directed by Masahiro Makino. Serving as parts of a 3 part series, the first and second installments are representative films directed by Masahiro Makino, the son of Shozo Makino . These films lent status to ensemble casts...
(1928) made him one of the top Japanese film directors, but his way of shooting films quickly also earned him detractors. For instance, the total time it took to shoot the 1936 film Edo no Ka Oshō was only 28 hours. The critic Sadao Yamane, however, has argued that this fast filming practice also contributed to Makino's speedy, rhythmic film style. Rhythm and tempo are important to his films, and so in his jidaigeki, fight scenes like in Kettō Takadanobaba (1937) could seem like dances, or entire sequences, like in Awa no odoriko (1941), could be filled with dance. He made musicals like Singing Lovebirds
Singing Lovebirds
Singing Lovebirds is a 1939 Japanese film directed by Masahiro Makino. It is a musical comedy....
(1939) and even his wartime propaganda films like Hanako-san and Ahen senso
Ahen senso
aka The Opium War is a 1943 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Masahiro Makino."Ahen senso" in Japan refers to the First Opium War...
(both 1943) could have Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley was a highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer. Berkeley was famous for his elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns...
-like musical numbers.
After the war, he helmed such popular jidaigeki series as "Jirōchō sangokushi" and such ninkyō eiga series as "Nihon kyōkaku den". He directed his last film in 1972, the retirement film for Junko Fuji, completing a filmography that totaled over 260 films and included films of many genres.
Family
Masahiro's half-brother, Sadatsugu Matsuda (1906–2003), was also a popular film director. Another brother, Mitsuo Makino, was an important film producer, and yet another, Shinzō Makino, also worked as a director (his wife was the actress Chikako Miyagi). Masahiro's sister, Tomoko Makino, married the actor Kunitarō Sawamura, and gave birth to the actors Masahiko TsugawaMasahiko Tsugawa
, born Masahiko Kato on January 2, 1940 in Kyoto, Japan is a Japanese actor and director.He made his debut at the age of 16 in the Kō Nakahira film Crazed Fruit in 1956. Tsugawa's family was heavily involved in the film industry since before his birth...
and Hiroyuki Nagato
Hiroyuki Nagato
was a Japanese actor.Nagato was born in Kyoto. He starred in Season of the Sun, Endless Desire, My Second Brother, Stolen Desire, and Sukeban Deka, and Yo-Yo Girl Cop. He died in Tokyo on May 21, 2011....
, each of whom married famous actresses (Yukiji Asaoka
Yukiji Asaoka
is a Japanese singer and an actress from Chūō, Tokyo. She is the daughter of the famous Japanese painter of shin hanga style prints, Shinsui Itō, and her second and present husband is actor Masahiko Tsugawa.Asaoka was in the Takarazuka Revue from 1952 to 1955...
and Yōko Minamida
Yoko Minamida
was a Japanese actress. She was diagnosed with Alzheimers in November 2008, and a TV documentary was made about her condition and the efforts of her husband, actor Hiroyuki Nagato, to care for her...
respectively). Kunitarō's brother and sister (brother and sister-in-law to Masahiro) are the actors Daisuke Katō
Daisuke Katô
was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 films, including Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai , Rashomon, Yojimbo , and Ikiru, and Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy and Chushingura.-Filmography:* Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji...
and Sadako Sawamura. The pseudonym that Masahiko Tsugawa took when he became a director, Makino Masahiko, is a tribute to Masahiro.
Masahiro married the actress Yukiko Todoroki
Yukiko Todoroki
Yukiko Todoroki was a Japanese actress. Her real name was Tsuruko Nishiyama. She also participated in the Takarazuka Revue. At Takarazuka, she was known not by her real name, but by the stage name Toruko . Her birthplace was Shinbori, Azabu-ku in Tokyo. Her two ex-husbands were film directors...
and their son, Masayuki Makino, is the head of the Okinawa Actor's School, famous for training a number of Japan's top female pop singers. His second wife was also an actress, and one of their two daughters became an actress.
Selected Filmography
As director:- Sozenji BabaSozenji Babais a 1928 black and white Japanese silent film with directed by Masahiro Makino. It is an ambitious film in which Makino deals with the difficult issue of the agony of a person who killed for revenge....
(崇禅寺馬場, Sozenji Baba) (1928) - Samurai Town, Story 1 and Story 2 (浪人街 第一話、第二話, RoningaiRoningaiare respectively 1928 and 1929 black and white Japanese silent films with directed by Masahiro Makino. Serving as parts of a 3 part series, the first and second installments are representative films directed by Masahiro Makino, the son of Shozo Makino . These films lent status to ensemble casts...
) (1928, 1929) - Singing LovebirdsSinging LovebirdsSinging Lovebirds is a 1939 Japanese film directed by Masahiro Makino. It is a musical comedy....
(Oshidori utagassen) (1939) - (阿片戦争 Ahen sensoAhen sensoaka The Opium War is a 1943 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Masahiro Makino."Ahen senso" in Japan refers to the First Opium War...
) aka The Opium War (1943) - (離婚, RikonRikonis a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Masahiro Makino.- Cast :* Ureo Egawa as Shōgo Yamamura* Yuriko Hanabusa as Natsuno Sōma* Chōko Iida as Kikuyo* Michiyo Kogure as Michiko Sōma* Noriko Munakata as Tsuruko Miyawakita...
) (1952) - (仇討崇禅寺馬場 Adauchi sōzenji babaAdauchi sozenji babais a 1957 black-and-white jidaigeki Japanese film directed by Masahiro Makino....
) (1957)
As actor:
- RaidenRaiden (film)is a 1928 black and white Japanese silent film with benshi accompaniment directed by Shozo Makino and Sadatsugu Matsuda. It is a posthumous work by Makino and is the last film starring his son, Masahiro Makino. in his first role in a comedy film....
(雷電) (1928) - The Man Who Came to PortThe Man Who Came to Portis a 1952 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1952)